Changing in the Dark
by CherriTree
Summary: Follow Miyuki, a shapeshifter running from the Fire Nation, as she helps the gaang in her own sly ways.She has adventures on her own, and may find romance on the way. She has been waiting this war out, but It's taking too long. She needs to get revenge. On what the Fire Nation did to her people.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: For those of you who have read Zai's Story by Zuko's Firey princess ( and for those of who who haven't, I recommend it) you recently were introduced into a new character. Miyuki the shape shifter. That was kind of like a sneak peek for this FanFiction. Hope you enjoy it!

Freak. Wanted. Cat girl. Shape shifter. Small. Stealthy.  
All these words could be used to describe me. And they have been used. By friends and by enemies and by traitors. What I wanted was to be loved and needed. But I never let anyone catch on.  
" Miyuki! A boy is coming! You need to shift!" my mother told me. I groaned but complied. The cat form was not one of my favorites. Number one, I was fat. Number two, I get hairballs.  
Now in my new perspective, I looked up at the boy. He looked to be around twelve and had Airbender tattoos. The Avatar. I jumped up on the counter and tried to look disinterested. The Avatar was the only other most wanted person in the Fire Nation above me. Shape shifting was illegal, but I loved to get on their nerves. Mess around with their minds a little. I asked him if he was running from the Fire Nation and needed shelter, but he couldn't understand me. He just kept going on about how his friends were sick and he needed a cure. Mother had been in the middle of making a special blend of herbs that help me from Shirshu detection.  
" Calm down, young man. Your friends are going to be fine. There used to be more people up here you know. But now it's just me and Miyuki," mother explained. He looked bored and replied quickly.  
" Sometimes wounded Earth Kingdom soldiers drop by for a cure. Brave boys. And they always leave in better shape than when they arrived," she told him.  
" That's nice. Now can I have the cure?" he asked impatiently.  
" Hold on!" she said while looking for the right herb.  
" No. That won't do. Banana leaf? Eh.. nope. Here we go. Plum blossom," she said as she added the last ingredient. The Avatar grabbed the bowl and his hands were instantly slapped by mother's mixing spoon. I winced, because I knew how much it hurt.  
" What do you think you're doing?!" she scolded.  
" Taking the cure to my friends!" he responded indigniantly. Mother laughed.  
" That isn't the cure! It's Miyuki's dinner. Plum blossom is her favorite," she said while stroking me. I stuck my head in the bowl, thankful for my dulled taste buds.  
" How am I supposed to heal my friends?!" he asked.  
" The cure lies in the frozen frogs in the river," she advised him.  
" What am I supposed to do with frozen frogs?" he said, disgusted.  
" Why suck on them of course!" she told him bluntly.  
" You're insane, aren't you?" he asked.  
" That's right. Now hurry!" she said, whipping the blend all over his eyes. He ran out.  
Once he was out of sight, I shifted back into human form. Much more comfortable.  
" Bleh. Those herbs are nasty," was the first thing I said.  
" Shh! Miyuki! The boy has paused. He is in the big field surrounded by archers. He can still hear you!" she scolded. I peered outside.  
" Probably not the main thing he's worried about at the moment," I observed as many arrows came flying at him at once. I wanted to help, but I would make the situation a whole lot worse. He was wanted alive, and they just wanted me gone. Forever.  
" Better safe than sorry. The Fire Nation has memorized your appearance and voice," she insisted.  
" Just my original form. Quit worrying,"I told her. She grabbed me by the shoulder.  
" Don't try anything too dangerous," she told me. I grinned and shifted into a wolf. I told her I was going to be alright.  
" Hurry Miyuki!" she told me. Always an order. I ran out and glanced at the Avatar. The archers shot more arrows and he ran. The archers and I followed him. He Airbended across a cliff while I shifted into a raven. I flew across and dove into the forest. I tried to swerve every branch but he was going too fast. He eventually landed in the river where the frozen frogs were. I shifted into a fish. I always tried to blend with my kept on searching for more frogs, but he was eventually captured by the archers. I waited until they left with the Avatar to shift again. I shifted into my favorite form. A black cat. I could run really fast and I was stealthy. Perfect for my situation. I ran after them. They led me to a big wall with a Fire Nation prison. This was the place I had been avoiding for years. I was risking a lot coming here. Now that he was captured, I was the most wanted person in the Fire Nation. Not a good thing to be in the middle of Fire Nation territory. I snuck in the gates with my slender body and slid past all the guards. Just a cat, nothing more. The building was heavily guarded with tall, buff Fire Nation soldiers. I had to distract them. I shifted into a bird and flew over a young soldier's head. I came closer and closer and he grabbed me.  
" I have the cat girl! I need backup!" he yelled. How did he know? I ignored the question and focused on escaping. I shifted into a tiger and swiped at him. But the backup was already there. They put a needle in my back and I shifted into my original form.  
" Well well well. What do we have here?" Zhao came over, a smug look on his face.  
" The Firelord will be very pleased to hear that I have the Avatar and the Cat Girl in custody," he said cooly.I glared at him.  
" How is that the cat girl? She's so small," one of the soldiers retorted. I got up and swung at him.  
" Who are you calling small?" I asked, coming dangerously close.  
" Keep her in the same prison as the Avatar," Zhao ordered. I kicked as hard as I could, but to no avail. They had already tied me in a net. I woke up in a large room with my arms and legs chained. I struggled then sighed. There was no escaping.  
" Hello? Who else is there?" the Avatar questioned. My eyes shot open. How do I explain to him?  
" Miyuki," I said simply.  
" Miyuki? But Miyuki is a cat. Not a human being that can talk," he said, very confused.  
" Actually, it's kind of both. I'm a shapeshifter," I tried to explain.  
" Woah," was all he could say.  
" So, how do we get out of here?" I asked. But he didn't get to answer before a man with a blue mask entered the room. The Blue Spirit.  
A/N: well, that's all I have so far, review if you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: well, the second chapter is up! Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed.  
I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER  
" What do you want from us?" I demanded. He remained silent and came closer. I cringed when he pulled out his broadswords. He had an unfair advantage over us. I tried to shift, but whatever they gave me was still in effect. The strange figure came closer towards The Avatar. He swung his swords in a flourish and cut the hand cuffs off of The Avatar. So he was on our side. Maybe. He gave me a sideways glance then cut me out too. I looked at him in confusion as he beckoned me to follow him. I did, but slowly. The Avatar hurriedly ran with the masked man. I wasn't going to take any chances. I took part of my chopped handcuff and brandished it like a weapon. There wasn't a lot of guards around, so it was simply the matter of getting far enough away without them realizing.  
" THE AVATAR AND THE CAT GIRL HAVE ESCAPED!" I heard a man yell. Too late for that. I ran as fast as I could.  
" Miyuki! We've found an exit!" the Avatar yelled. I swung around to meet his eyes. He was gesturing to a large gate. Every guard was surrounding it.  
" Um, are you sure that's our best option?" I asked.  
" It's our only option. Now hurry!" The Avatar told me. I sighed and followed him. The Blue Spirit and the young Airbender ran towards the exit. I followed them and they used ladders to evade the soldiers. I followed them and hit soldiers with my handcuff along the way. They didn't make it and fell. I got on all fours and crawled quickly to them.  
" What do we do now?" I asked them. The Blue Spirit looked at me and drew his swords out. He put them to The Avatar's throat. It was just getting harder to tell who's side he was on. I hid behind them as the Blue Spirit backed away. Zhao didn't want the Avatar dead. Smart. I grinned to myself but my pleasure was soon ended by an arrow directed at the Blue Spirit. He fell back and the Avatar created a fog.  
" Come on! We need to hurry!" I told him.  
" One second! I need to know who this is!" he exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. Curiosity killed the cat. We needed to go. The Avatar gasped and backed off.  
" Oh, come on!" I complained and put the Blue Spirit or whatever it was on my back. We ran out of sight.  
" This guy has been hunting me down since I returned," The Avatar said, not wanting to believe that his enemy was his hero.  
" Hey, what was your name?" I asked him.  
" Aang. It was nice to meet an actual shapeshifter. I've only heard about them in legends, yet I always knew they were real," He said in awe.  
" And it was nice to meet the Avatar," I bowed.  
" Please call me Aang," he said awkwardly. Then he started talking to the sleeping figure in the pit.  
" I was friends with someone in the Fire Nation once. You know, before the war. Do you think that if the circumstances were different, we could of been friends too?" Aang asked innocently. The figure woke up and shot fireballs at him. Aang flew into the trees.  
" Who are you and why did you free us?"I demanded.  
" I need the Avatar to regain my honor," he blurted. It seemed that he said this a lot.  
" Sure, but why did you free me?" I asked again.  
" Um, you looked innocent?" he said awkwardly. I sighed.  
" That's a mistake people often make," I said, lowering my voice.  
" But, you're so small," he argued.  
" How old are you?" I asked. He looked caught off guard.  
" Fifteen," he said simply. I nodded.  
" Me too," I told him.  
" Why would Zhao want to capture a fifteen year old girl?" he said, obviously confused.  
" I'm the second most wanted person in the Fire Nation. Ugh, why am I telling you this?" I blurted, then chided myself.  
" Why are you so wanted?" he asked.  
" Why are you so curious?" I returned. He glared at me, then got up.  
" You're not worth my time," he grumbled.  
" And you're not worth mine," I shot back. I ran off towards the greenhouse.  
" Miyuki! It's been all night!" mother chided.  
" It feels like longer. Oh, and I need a special blend of herbs," I told her tiredly.  
" What for?" mother said worriedly.  
" Um, well... some soldiers kinda gave me a shot that made me unable to shift," I confessed.  
" Miyuki! What did you do?" she asked.  
" I helped the Avatar, nothing more, nothing less," I said with a bored tone.  
" I'll go get that blend ready. You rest," she ordered.  
" Don't have to tell me twice," I grumbled as I jumped into my bed. I instantly fell asleep.  
Zuko's P.O.V:  
Was that a dream? I couldn't have just met a girl with that...coloring. Only Airbenders had grey eyes. And pale skin belonged to the Fire Nation. The brown hair, however could be found in any kingdom. She was confusing. And why was she so wanted? I'll just ask Uncle.  
A/N: please tell me what you liked/didn't like!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Well, I wrote this chapter pretty quickly. While babysitting. I'm just sooo efficient *rolls eyes*. Review if you like it!

Still in Zuko's P.O.V:  
I returned to my ship as soon as possible, and tried to forget about the small girl.  
" Zuko, where were you?" Uncle asked me.  
" Nowhere. What can you tell me about the second most wanted person in the Fire Nation?" I asked him.  
" Second most wanted, hmm. Ah, the shapeshifter," Uncle remembered. My eyes widened.  
" I don't even want to know," I said shaking my head.  
" You should rest. A man needs his rest," he said sagely. I instantly went to sleep.  
Miyuki's P.O.V:  
I awoke to mother's prodding.  
" Miyuki, it's time for the blend," she said. I groaned and rubbed my head.  
" Hmm? Oh yeah," I grumbled and swallowed the blend. Mother looked uncomfortable.  
" Miyuki? I think it's time I told you something," mother said awkwardly. I looked at her in confusion.  
" You can tell me anything, mother," I said solemnly.  
" That's just it. I'm... not your ," she blurted.  
" What?! Who's my real mom?" I said, very shocked. I had always thought that she was my mother. Although it made sense, she was much older than me.  
" A nomad who had an affair with your father," she confessed.  
" And who's my father?" I asked, still digesting the information. She sighed and ran her hand through her long white hair.  
" A fellow herbalist. There used to be more of them up here," she told me.  
" You've told me that so many times. What really happened to them?" I asked, wanting the truth.  
" They, they were killed. The Fire Nation came up here, and they needed our herbs. We weren't about to give up our lives' work for the enemy, and well, they didn't take it well. They killed all of us. And I hid you.  
" Why didn't they kill you?" I asked, sitting up.  
" Well, um. I fled. The Fire Nation was ruthless, as you know," she stuttered. I stood up.  
" You abandoned my father? I can't believe you! I have to go," I walked away. My 'mother' was a coward.  
" Miyuki! The Fire Nation will capture you!" she argued.  
" Oh, because we can't face 'the ruthless Fire Nation'," I said sarcastically. I grabbed my satchel and shifted into a cat.  
" I understand that you have to do this, but please be careful," she pleaded. I ran off, leaving that life behind.  
Zuko's P.O.V:  
" Zuko. I found out more about that shapeshifter. One man in your crew has a brother who guards in her area. She's dangerous and her favorite form is a cat. They call her 'cat girl',"Uncle explained. I groaned and sat up.  
"Uncle, when I say I don't want to know, I really don't want to know," I grumbled.  
" I'll just leave you alone," Uncle said wisely. I fell back asleep.  
Miyuki's P.O.V:  
I had to find my mother. Maybe she still wanted me. She had given birth to me, and she obviously had feelings for my late father. Tears came unnaturally. Cats don't cry, and I shouldn't either. I stumbled across a camp. I slowly crept in. A boy and a girl both dressed in blue were packing up, but retching while doing so. A small boy was apologizing over and over again. Aang. I came closer.  
" Here, kitty kitty," the girl said, crouching. I growled, but came closer. If she was a friend of Aang's, I guess I could trust her.  
" Katara! We have no time for distrations!" the boy said.  
" Aw, come on! Look at that wittle face!" she said, holding me up. I stared at him blankly.  
" Yeah, adorable. Can we go now?" he asked.  
" Aang, can I take her on the trip?" Katara pleaded to the Avatar. I wanted to help him, and I needed a sly mode of transportation, so I gave him one of my most innocent meows.  
" I don't see why not. Momo, be nice," he said sternly to a lemur. Katara picked me up and climbed on a large bison.

SlowBunny out!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! I just wanted to know if you had any ideas for Miyuki's love interest(s) and/or her adventures! If you have any requests let me know! Thanks for all of your support!

SlowBunny Out!


	5. Chapter 5

Miyuki's P.O.V:

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reveiwed! To Kataanglover138, I'm going to experiment with that Pipsqueak idea. I never even thought of him as an option (im not very open minded). I promise that he'll be in one of the next two chapters! To TearsOnTheRiver, I get very confused with ages on Avatar, and since they don't technically say it on the show... I guessed.

We got there in the crack of dawn. The boy in blue ( I still didn't know his name), decided to go fishing. I was a vegetarian, and didn't feel like gnawing on bones, so I shifted into a fish while everyone was looking away. I would make sure he didn't catch a single fish. I jumped into the air and looked directly at the boy.

" Look! A fish!" Katara told the boy. I smirked at him.

" It's taunting us," he said, coming closer.

" You are so going to be dinner!" he yelled. I went back in the water and swam around expertly. The boy looked at the fishing pole and noticed there was no line.

" Hey! Where's the fishing line?" I heard from under the water.

" Oh, I didn't think you'd need it Sokka," Aang's innocent voice rippled through the water. So that's what the boy chasing me's name was. Sokka.

" Aw it's all tangled," Sokka complained.

" Not tangled, woven. I made you a necklace Katara, you know, since you lost your other one," Aang said awkwardly. So the Avatar had a crush on Katara. Things were getting more and more interesting.

" Great Aang. Instead of defeating the Fire Lord, you can go into the jewelry business ," the boy said sarcastically. So they were going to kill the Fire Lord. I wanted that, I really wanted that. Sokka interrupted my thoughts by entering the water. I swam away quickly.

" How do I look?" Katara asked.

" You mean all of you, or just your neck?" Aang tried to flirt. Katara didn't seem to pick up the hint.

" Smoochie, smoochie, someone's in love," Sokka teased. He had said exactly what I wanted to say. So I jumped up and hit him in the face. I shifted back into a cat to see Katara scratching the lemur named Momo's head. I meowed.

" Oh hi, Nina," she told me. So I had a name now, great.

" How do you know it's a girl?" Aang asked her.

" I don't know, I can just tell," she said, looking at me. Suddenly, we heard yells.

" That man is being attacked by a platypus bear!" Aang yelled.

Zhao's P.O.V:

" Sir, the Cat Girl has escaped with the Avatar," one of my idiotic soldiers said ignorantly.

" Thank you, for stating the obvious. Our main focus is the Avatar. She is not much of a threat," I growled.

" Sir, she cannot be found anywhere. She has run away," he said. That was information I could work with.

" You can send a small group of soldiers if you think it's so important," I growled. He nodded and waked off. How did a small peasant girl get to be so wanted?

Miyuki's P.O.V:

Needless to say, they defeated the Platypus Bear. Well, actually the large Air Bison did. In the process, the billed bear had laid an egg. Sokka was eyeing it hungrily.

" Oh, Aunt Wu told me if I met any travelers to give them this," the victim held out a parcel. He was an interesting character.

" Wouldn't it be nice to know your fortune?" Katara asked after the man had left. Sokka groaned. Apparently he didn't like fortunetelling and was a man of science. The parcel had an umbrella in it and when Aang opened it, it immediately started raining.

" See?" Katara teased.

" That doesn't mean that it's real. It's just a coincidence," he mumbled. Katara picked me up.

" Just admit that fortunetelling is real and you can come under the umbrella," Katara offered. I meowed, agreeing with the proposition.

" I'm going to make a prediction now. It's going to keep drizzling," Sokka said goofily, waving his arms around. It immediately stopped raining.

" Looks like not everyone has the gift, Sokka," Aang grinned. I suppressed a laugh. The universe seemed to hate Sokka. When we entered the village, Katara made a bee line towards the fortune teller. I hid behind a bush and shifted into human form. I was safe in Earth Kingdom territory. I entered the building where Aang had entered a moment before.

" Mind if I join you?" I asked.

A/N: haha! Cliffhanger! I'll have the next chapter up pretty soon, if I restrain myself from DoodleJump(my new obsession). Blame Mura for that, it was all Mura (AbbyCade15) review please


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. This chapter is going to be basically The Foruneteller, and maybe a little Jet. Don't kill me if I don't get there in this chapter, I have a lot to write.  
I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

Sokka shot me a big smile while Aang gaped at me. I stood next to Sokka while giving Aang a look that warned him not to say anything.  
"What's your name?" Sokka asked. I smiled back.  
" Miyuki. Yours?" I responded almost automatically. He was friends with the Avatar, so I was trusting that he wouldn't turn me into the Fire Nation.  
" Sokka. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe," he said smoothly.  
" Wow. I've never met someone from the Water Tribe until now. I'm from the Earth Kingdom," I grinned. A young girl walked into the room.  
" I'm Meng. Aunt Wu's assistant. Well helloooo there," she said, raising an eyebrow at Aang. She walked up to him.  
" Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" she asked as we sat down.  
" I'll try a curd puff," Sokka said goofily. She pointed to him.  
" Just a second. So what's your name?" she asked Aang.  
" Aang," he responded. She gasped.  
" That rhymes with Meng! An you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?" if she was trying to flirt, she was doing a terrible job.  
" I guess?" Aang said, raising an eyebrow.  
" Don't be modest! They're huge!" Sokka teased.  
" Well, Aang. It's very nice to meet you. Very nice," Meng said smoothly.  
" Likewise," Aang said politely. I stifled laughter.  
" I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense," Sokka complained. I raised an eyebrow.  
" House of nonsense?" I asked.  
" Try to keep an open mind, Sokka," there are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?" Katara chided.  
" It would be nice to have some bean curd puffs," Sokka grumbled. Meng was walking in the room when a young woman opened a wooden door into the waiting room.  
" Oh, Meng! Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love! He's going to give me a rare Panda Lily," the woman gushed.  
" That's so romantic, I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower," she hinted at Aang.  
" Good luck with that," Aang said. The young woman giggled while I retched. Romance wasn't my thing.  
" Is that the big eared guy who Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?" she asked. Meng blushed. So that's why she had such a big crush on Aang. She delivered the tray to Aang and almost dropped it out of embarrassment.  
" E-enjoy your snack," she stuttered. She ran off. Sokka was about to put a puff in his mouth when who I presumed to be Aunt Wu walked in.  
" Welcome young travelers, now who's next? Don't be shy," she asked. Sokka looked to me, I looked at Aang, an Aang looked at Katara. She got up.  
" I guess that's me!" Katara said excitedly.  
" Not bad. Not bad!" Sokka said with pleasure. He held the bowl out towards Aang and I.  
" I'm good on puffs," Aang declined. I took one. They were surprisingly good.  
" So. What do you think they're talking about back there?" Aang questioned.  
" Boring stuff I'm sure. Love, who she's gonna marry, how many babies she's gonna have," Sokka said without interest. Aang however, looked very interested.  
" Yeah, dumb stuff like , I gotta find a bathroom," he lied, and got up quickly. Sokka went right back to his bowl, but the lemur stole it. We spent the time talking.  
" So, you travel with the Avatar, huh?" I prodded. I wasn't just going to sit there and do nothing.  
" Yeah. We fight against the Fire Nation and stuff," he said disinterestedly.  
" That's really cool. The Fire Nation took my father away. I hate them," I said angrily.  
" The Fire Nation took my mother away. I know how you feel," He sympathized. I looked down.  
" I just found out yesterday," I said quietly. All of the events that had happened in the day previous were taking their toll.  
" Why didn't you know?" he asked confusedly.  
" My 'mother' wasn't really my mother. She finally came through, and I ran away. She was a coward and ran away when my father needed help," I whispered. Sokka rested a hand on my back.  
" I know how hard it is to run away. To leave everything you've ever known and loved behind. It gets better," he said compassionately.  
" Thanks. Sorry for spilling my whole life story. I just needed to get it out, you know?" I said. He smiled and nodded. He held the bowl of bean curd puffs towards me.  
" Bean curd puff?" he asked with a goofy grin.  
" Sure," I agreed and took one out of the bowl. At that exact moment, Aang came back from the bathroom. He looked really happy. I mean really.  
" Looks like someone had a good bathroom break," Sokka teased. I laughed aloud.  
" Yeah, when I was in there-" Aang started.  
" I don't even want to know!" Sokka protested. This made me laugh even harder. Katara and Aunt Wu came in the room. Sokka stood up.  
" Guess it's my turn," he grumbled.  
" Your life will be full of struggle and anguish. Most of it self-inflicted," she said simply. I giggled, because it was true.  
" You didn't read my palms or anything!" he protested.  
" I don't need to. It's written all over your face," she said, narrowing her eyes. Sokka gave her a blank stare and started picking bits of bean curd puff out of his teeth.  
" I guess I'm next," Aang said. He sounded really excited. Almost as excited as Katara.  
" I wonder where Nina is," Katara wondered aloud. My eyes widened, but I kept my cool.  
" Who's Nina?" I asked.  
" A cat I found in an Earth Kingdom village. It has black fur and grey eyes," She explained.  
" So. Are you from the Southern Water Tribe too?" I asked Katara.  
" Yes. I'm Katara and this is my brother Sokka," she introduced. I nodded.  
" Miyuki, I'm new around here too," I told her.  
" What brings you here?" she asked.  
" I ran away," I said quietly.  
" Oh. Aang did too. Don't tell him I told you. He just told me a couple of days ago," she warned.  
" I won't. Trust me, I'm good at keeping secrets. But tell me, how long have you known this guy?" I asked. She glanced at her brother, who nodded.  
" About two weeks. Why?" she shrugged.  
" So you're traveling the world, with a guy you barely know, and you've left all the people you know and all the things you hold dear just to stay with the Avatar?" I said, suddenly serious. They looked at each other.  
" Uh...yes?" Sokka answered. I grinned.  
" Sweet," I smiled. Aang came out at that exact moment, looking as happy as ever.  
" My turn," I said, getting up and walking in a room with Aunt Wu.  
" I can see your aura. What a marvelous green and orange for beauty and wisdom," she smiled.  
" Thank you, but I do not think much of outward appearances," I said, bowing.  
" Very wise. Now where should we begin?" she asked. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. After a couple of seconds I opened my eyes and saw a brilliant shade of purple around the wise woman. I also picked up some deep green.  
" Wow. Very, purple. And some marvelous green," I complimented. She looked up suddenly.  
" How did you do that?!" she exclaimed. I laughed and leaned back in my chair, examining my fingernail.  
" Trick of the trade. So you're very wise and believe deeply in magic and very immersed in the spirit world," I guessed. She nodded, still amazed that I could read auras.  
" Go on, do your stuff. I like to plan ahead," I smirked. She laughed.  
" Very impressive. I'll read your palms," she told me. I held out my hand.  
" Read away," I grinned. She rubbed and traced her long finger over the lines in my hand.  
" I can see that you have been through much lately. It's not going to be better, but someone will help you on the way. A young man. He is a nonbender, but a very good fighter," she smiled. I scoffed. Romance wasn't my thing. Anyway, I wouldn't want to keep a secret. If he knew, he wouldn't like me anymore.  
" Sorry, not the romantic type," I told her.  
" Very different than the young lady I saw earlier," she mused. I walked out the door and jabbed a finger on Sokka's chest. Are you a nonbender?" I demanded, putting my face coming dangerously close.  
" Uh, yeah. Why?" he said, backing away. I gulped.  
" Nothing. See ya!" I ran out. I felt a little bad running away, but I didn't want my destiny laid out in front o me. I could do this. Alone. I walked to the outside of the town and entered the forest. I shifted into a cat for extra speed. I saw a fort made in the trees. I shifted into a cat to see a large youth in front of me.  
" Sorry about this," I grinned sheepishly.  
" About what?" he grunted confusedly. I quickly knocked him out in reply. I walked closer to the fort and was met with a tall lanky teenager.  
" Hey. New around here?" he asked.  
" How could you tell?" I grinned sheepishly.  
" You look a little nervous. Stay for dinner?" he asked smoothly. I was a little peeved at his arrogance, but I nodded quickly. Maybe a little female charm would land me a place for the night.  
" Take my hand," he grinned. Okay, now he was just getting sappy. I took it anyway.  
" Thank you. I didn't know where to go," I said, batting my eyelashes awkwardly. I was still new to this. Thankfully he ate it up.  
" We'd love to have you stay the night. Right guys?" he gestured to a group of teens.  
" Sure," a small girl said. Well, 'she' might have been a he. I couldn't really tell.  
" I'm up for it," a small boy shrugged. Another boy stayed silent and gave the young 'girl' a look.  
" He says that he's fine with whatever you say, Jet," 'she' told the person who discovered me. Jet. Hmm.  
" Thank you guys so much!" I squealed. I hated the way I sounded. I hated the people who acted like the way I was.  
" Hey, where's Pipsqueak?" the small boy asked.  
" Who's Pipsqueak?" I asked.  
" A Freedom Fighter. Just like us," Jet told me smugly. I had never heard of the Freedom Fighters, but I went along with it.  
" The Freedom Fighters? They're total heroes in my village!" I lied. Nobody in my village would care, even if they were heroes. They had abandoned hope long ago.  
" Good to know we're appreciated," he smirked. I hated his attitude and wanted to wipe that smile off of his face.  
" Smellerbee, you can start dinner. Speech and everything. I need to check on Pipsqueak," he smiled."' She' turned to the crowd with a large grin on' her' face. She raises 'her' fist and the crowd went crazy. I wondered how crazy they went over Jet.  
" Listen up Freedom Fighters! We have a guest! Her name is...is..." 'she' elbowed me.  
" Miyuki. Hi everybody!" I said happily. A lot of people started chattering. I heard whispers like.  
" Miyuki? The cat girl?"  
" Isn't she the second most wanted person in the Fire Nation?"  
" Isn't she more wanted than Jet?"  
I blushed and spoke again.  
" Oh no, we just share the same name. I'd love to meet her though," I lied through my teeth.  
" Now that that's over, let's eat!" Smellerbee announced. I picked at my food, still feeling guilty for abandoning Aang and knocking out that Freedom Fighter.  
" You okay?" Jet asked, sliding next to me.  
" Yeah. Is Pipsqueak alright?" I asked.  
" He was knocked out cold. Kept on going on about some cat that turned into a girl. Ridiculous, right?" he laughed. I laughed nervously.  
" Yeah. See you in the morning!" I got up quickly, wanting this conversation to end.  
" Wait, I need to show you your room," he grinned. I sighed and gave him a fake smile. More time with Jet, great. He led me to my room, talking almost nonstop. I just nodded along, hoping I got the answers right.  
" You too?" he asked.  
" Oh, yeah. Mmhmm," I nodded.  
" The Fire Nation took my parents away from me. I was eight," he told me. I put a hand on his back, feeling sorry for him suddenly.  
" I'm sorry. I was an infant. At least I don't remember," I shook my head sadly.  
" I didn't know. Sorry for bringing it up," he said, still a little sad.  
" It's not your fault. The Fire Nation ruins lives," I was trying to be flirtatious while still being serious. Dang, this was hard.  
" I didn't catch your name," he smiled. Ugh, back to regular Jet.  
" Miyuki," I told him. His eyes flashed open. That's when I realized how small his eyes were. Like he had no soul.  
" Goodnight," I said, trying to raise my voice a couple of octaves and batting my eyelashes. It worked. His facial expression softened.  
" Night," he murmured. I slipped in my tent and hoped that Pipsqueak thought he was dreaming.  
A/N: sorry for the late update! I have finals and Teen Titans has practically taken over my life. Heaven help me and my obsessions. Love reviews as much as I will love my future children! Does that sound weird? Eh, I'm not changing it.

SlowBunny out!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys! Yes, it's another chapter! Sorry for the lateness, I got caught up in my TT Fanfic. It's not posted yet, I'm writing ahead. Yes, this is SlowBunny. No, I am not some freak who stole the story. Enjoy! Oh, and this is a filler :D.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender. Sorry, no punchlines today.

I woke up at dawn. I changed my clothes to a green and brown tunic and white wrappings. And Jet wouldn't leave me alone. I suggested that I spend time with all of the members. Luckily, he agreed. First, was Smellerbee. I found out quickly that she was a girl.  
" So, have any crushes?" I asked. She looked down, embarrassed. I put a hand on her shoulder and she looked into my eyes.  
" Trust me, I won't tell anyone," I smiled. I hoped that I looked nice. I wasn't the best with children.  
" Longshot," she whispered. I smiled.  
" I think you'd make a great couple," I smiled.  
" So, you like anyone?" she asked hopefully. I sighed. I had to lie.  
" Don't tell him, but it's Jet," I lied through my teeth.  
" I think he already knows," she said. My face fell. Was it that obvious? I mean I didn't like him, and I didn't want to lead him on.  
" Don't worry, I think he likes you too," she said. Well, I had figured that out. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and left to hang out with Longshot.  
" Hey," I said. He looked to me, and then glanced at his arrows. He gave me a questioning look.  
" Do you want to teach me how to use your arrows?" I guessed. He nodded. I picked up a bow and an arrow. He put the arrow in place and showed me how to pull the string. I shot it, but my aim was terrible. Over time, my aim got better. I left to see The Duke, my arm aching. Luckily, all we did was eat jelly candy and play hand games. I liked this kid. I won Earth Air and Metal ( a version of Rock Paper Scissors) and then I left. Pipsqueak was next. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I really hoped he didn't remember me knocking him out. It would blow my cover. Eh, Jet probably wouldn't believe it. My fake girlyness was pretty believable.  
" Hi," I said, a little intimidated by his height.  
" Hey," he grunted. A wave of relief came over me when I realized he didn't remember.  
" So, Whatchya doin'?" I asked curiously. He hammered mercilessly on a piece of armor.  
" Making armor," he answered. Man, it was hard to make conversation with this guy.  
" Um. Anything I can do to help?" I asked. He nodded and handed me a hammer. I stared at it.  
"Don't just stand there. Pound the armor," he told me. I grinned and started to hammer on the breast plate.  
" Any reason you're making all this stuff?" I asked over the noise.  
" Yeah. We're planning on going to Ba Sing Se. To start over. We might run into some Fire Nation troops along the way.  
" Sounds like fun. I never wanted to go to Ba Sing Se. Too many rules," I told him. He turned to me.  
" I like you, Miyuki, was it?" he asked. I grinned and nodded.  
" I like you too," I responded. After a couple of hours of small talk and hammering, Pipsqueak and I had grown to become pretty good friends. He even told me his real name, Temno. I decided to talk to Jet before dinner, he looked a little down.  
" Hey Jet," I smiled, sitting next to him.  
" Hey," he said glumly. I put a hand on his shoulder.  
" What's wrong?" I asked. It wasn't like Jet to be sad. Cocky, yes. I had never seen him like this.  
" I'm just, confused," he threw his straw on the ground and ran a hand through his hair.  
" What about?" I asked, confused. Jet was not the type of guy to be confused.  
" There was this girl once. I really liked her, but I let her down. I went out of control. I turned into a monster," he said softly. I reached for his hand.  
" It's okay, Jet. We all have some kind of monster inside of us. But most of us don't have the will power to keep it restrained. It's something you have to learn and I know you can do it," I comforted. I, too had this monster. Towards the Fire Nation. I had Jet's same problem.  
" She left soon afterwards. She called me a monster, and it really hurt. Then you came along. Thank you," he smiled.  
" You're welcome. Let's go to dinner, shall we?" I asked. He grinned and returned the straw to his mouth.  
" You bet," he said. Great, same old Jet. We sat down for dinner. I wished that Jet was always that submissive. It suited him.  
" Pass the beans?" I asked Pipsqueak. He gave me a smile. I was starting to really like this place. It felt like home.

A/N: Well, I feel accomplished. Another chapter done! And not too much romance this time! I like the whole 'friend then boyfriend' concept. And I love Jet, but he is not going to be my love interest for this story! Please review! All the bunnies in the world will appreciate it!  
-Amb


	8. Chapter 8

N: Yay! Update! I have yet another chapter up, and this one is NOT a filler, trust me. You get to see more of the real Miyuki in this chapter, thank goodness.  
Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA, AbbyCade15 and I are trying to wrap our head around that problem!

I woke up in the morning with a smile on my face. For once in my life, things were good. No death, no heartbreak, no destiny. Just me and my new friends.  
"Yuki. Jet's starting breakfast," I heard Pipsqueak say. I opened my eyes and smiled at the nickname.  
" Sure thing, Squeak. But could you leave while I get dressed?" I asked him. He blushed and exited the room. I got my tunic on quickly and exited the hut.  
" Glad you could make it, Miyuki. Okay. Everyone. We're going to be leaving for Ba Sing Se soon. We need to start packing. But for now, we eat," Jet announced. I sat down and smiled. I ate a pretty big breakfast, since I was planning on leaving later that day. I really didn't want to go to Ba Sing Se, even with my friends. I left to go to my hut and packed my bag. I turned around to leave, and I was met with Jet, leaning on the doorway.  
" Tell me you're not leaving," he said, standing up to his full height.  
" Sorry, Ba Sing Se isn't my type of city," I dismissed, walking past him. He grabbed my shoulder, spun me around and put his arm around my shoulder.  
" Please don't go," he whispered in my ear. I smiled sadly.  
" I'll be in the market, getting supplies. I'll be back to say bye later," I said, going down the rope.  
" Okay... Wait. Miyuki! Wait!" he yelled, but it was too late. I had already gone in the woods. I reached the market. I went to a fruit stand and decided to make small talk.  
" So, what can you tell me about the Freedom Fighters?" I said casually, examining a moon peach.  
" Oh, you'd better stay away from them. They flooded this entire village once. Good thing that boy warned us in time. I would have been a goner," the merchant rambled on. My eyes widened.  
" Really? Who's the guy who saved you?" I asked.  
" Sokka. From the Southern Water Tribe," he answered promptly.  
" Woah. Isn't he traveling with the Avatar?" I said, trying to keep him talking.  
" Oh yeah. They're going to defeat the Fire Lord and save the world!" he said animatedly. I smiled and paid for my moon peach. I didn't feel like going back to Jet. He said that he was a monster. But he never told me he almost killed innocent people.  
I entered the treehouse in a huff. I tried to ignore Jet, but he grabbed me with wide eyes.  
" Miyuki, whatever they told you isn't true. They have rumors going around. Please don't go," he told me. I shook my head. He was pathetic. But I did feel a little sorry for him.  
" Tell it to some other girl, Jet," I said coldly. I slid down the rope. He had hurt in his eyes. But all I saw was betrayal. He almost killed innocent people. I wasn't safe here. I was about to enter the woods when Pipsqueak tapped me on the shoulder.  
" Mind if we come with you?" he asked, gesturing to The Duke. I smiled.  
" Of course. You're my friends," I assured them as we traveled into the forest. I felt like I could be myself.  
" Just to warn you, I'm not going to be the girl you knew back there on this trip. That was fake. I thought that, if I could keep Jet happy, I could have a place to stay. I was desperate ," I said sheepishly.  
" It's fine. All the flirting was annoying anyway. You seemed to be a different person when he left," Pipsqueak assured me. I smiled and gave The Duke a light noogie.  
" What about you?" I asked.  
" Will you still play games with me?" he asked quietly. I grinned.  
" Of course!" I said happily. The Duke was becoming like a little brother to me.  
" Good," he said, grin on his face.  
" So, know where we're going?" Pipsqueak asked.  
" Nope. Have anywhere in mind Temno?" I asked. The Duke gave me a confused look.  
" Oh, that's his real name. I should probably call him Pipsqueak in public," I said, embarrassed at my rashness.  
" It's fine, Yuki. We might want to come up with a Freedom Fighter name for you," he smiled. I looked up at him.  
" But, we aren't part of the Freedom Fighters anymore, right?" I asked, looking into his eyes.  
" Right. We'll have to come up with another name for us. And another name for you," he decided. We walked along and thought of names.  
" The Mugrats?" The Duke suggested. I shook my head.  
"No one will take us seriously with that name," I shot the idea down.  
" So, what are we for? What are we fighting for, I mean," The Duke asked.  
" Um. No war?" I said, pulling at straws.  
" Well, we're all from the Earth Kingdom. We don't want to hide from the enemy, we want to fight," Pipsqueak summarized. I nodded.  
" Right. Well, this is harder than I thought," I sighed.  
" The Earth Fighters?" The Duke suggested. I shook my head.  
" Too much like the Freedom Fighters. We need something original," I said.  
" Uh, the Canyon Crawlers," Pipsqueak said. My eyes widened. That actually sounded...cool.  
" Yeah! Let's vote for our leader!" The Duke said excitedly.  
" All for Pipsqueak?" I asked. I raised my hand.  
" All for The Duke?" No one raised their hands.  
" All for Yuki?" Pipsqueak asked, and they both raised their hands while grinning.  
" Okay, Yuki is not a fighting name. And I thought that...if I pretended to be a guy...that we'd pose more of a threat," I said my idea slowly.  
" Uh. Sure," they shrugged. I sighed in relief.  
" I thought for sure you guys would say it was stupid," I said softly.  
" How about Storm?" Pipsqueak said. I looked at him with confusion.  
" Storm?" I asked. I looked at him.  
" Your new name," he said simply. I grinned and nodded rapidly.  
" I like it," I smiled.  
" Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find some new clothes," I said, waving my hand at the nearby market.  
" Sir, yes Sir!" they mock saluted. I smiled and hurried to buy my clothes. I bought a light green baggy tunic with grey trim, a pair of brown baggy pants and mid thigh boots. I changed quickly and tightened my wrappings on my...chest area. I cut my hair short and came out looking like a new woman, man, rather. Pipsqueak and The Duke barely recognized me. I ran up to them.  
" Storm, reporting for duty!" I saluted, smiling.  
" Wow. Y-you cut your hair," Pip stuttered. I smiled.  
" Yup. Does it look okay?" I asked seriously.  
" Yeah, it looks..great! Just wasn't expecting it," Pipsqueak said quickly. I gave him a small smile.  
" Forward, Canyon Crawlers!" I said with a fake, deep voice. They saluted me and we left the town.  
" Where to, Storm?" Pipsqueak asked. I pointed to the west.  
" Isn't the Fire Nation that way?" I said with a smile.  
" Can we stop by Omashu first?" The Duke asked.  
" Canyon Crawlers! We're going South-West!" I said happily as we headed into the forest.

A/N: Canyon Crawlers was the coolest name I could come up with. XD. Suggestions are always welcome! I also reward reviewers with virtual cookies!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:sorry it's sooo late guys! I just watched LoK (I know I'm late) and its totally amazing!**

**Disclaimer: don't own it!**

**It went like that for a couple of weeks. We had to 'borrow' our food and survive on maybe a couple nuts a day. It was taking its toll on us. The Duke had long since uncovered his secret stash of jellied candy. But Pip ate them all. He was losing his muscle and fat, and was definitely looking smaller. He looked less intimidating and kind of cute, but I'd never admit that. **

**" Yuki! A nearby town is having a festival!" The Duke said excitedly. I smiled. **

**" Great. Time to fatten ourselves!" I laughed. **

**" It's in Fire Nation territory," Pipsqueak blurted.**

**" And? People leave their clothes out ALL the time!" I insisted. He looked a little unsure, but nodded. We ran to a clothesline and picked out the perfect clothes. I picked a black tunic and light red pants. **

**" You change genders fast, Miyuki," Pip teased. I stuck my tongue out at him. **

**" Lee, Myzo, and Kyzi," I said pointing at Pip, The Duke, and then myself. **

**" Let's get masks!" The Duke grabbed my hand and led me to a shop selling masks inside the village. The festival was wonderful, the Fire Flakes were delicious ( Pip would disagree) and it all went off without a hitch until Aang jumped on stage and Airbended, revealing that he was the Avatar. I faceplamed.**

**" Seriously?" I mumbled to myself. I then led Pipsqeak and The Duke to the alley where Aang disappeared.**

**" Stay here. I need to make sure he's okay," I told them. They nodded. Once I was out of sight I shifted into a mouse and ran as fast as I could in the direction where Aang's scent was strongest. Once I saw that it was safe, I shifted into a human.**

**" Aang! I thought that was you!" I said loudly. He whirled around.**

**" Miyuki!" He exclaimed. **

**" Woah, how'd you get here?" Sokka asked.**

**" I saw Aang at the festival I wanted to make sure you guys were okay," I said.**

**" So, what brings you here?" Katara asked. **

**" Food. You?" I plopped down near the fire. **

**" Aang wanted to watch some Firebending up close and personal. Things didn't go our way," Sokka explained. I nodded.**

**" Hey, mind if I pick up a couple friends?" I asked. They gave me confused looks, but nodded. I ran towards Pipsqueak. **

**" Hey! It's the Avatar and his friends!" I told them. **

**" Lead the way," Pip told me. I started walking, but soon I lost sight of them. **

**" Pip?! The Duke?! ," I yelled out. I ran in the direction of the alley where we started walking. I looked down, but looked back up to see dark brown, beady eyes and a long straw. **

**" Jet," I spat. He grabbed my wrists.**

**" Come with us. I'm going to Ba Sing Se to start over. I want you to be with me," he said softly. I glared up at him. I started to struggle under his grip.**

**" I'm not going anywhere with you!" I yelled. His eyes got darker and he started dragging me. **

**" No! Let me go!" I screamed. All of a sudden, he slumped to the ground. I saw Pipsqueak standing behind where Jet was standing. **

**" Pipsqueak!" I exclaimed, and rushed to hug him. **

**" I thought he got you too," I whispered. **

**" He knocked The Duke and I out, but they didn't check if I was really unconscious. He's traveling with Longshot and Smellerbee," he told me. I let go. **

**" We've got to get The Duke!" I said, starting to walk. **

**" Uh, Yuki? It's that way," he told me, pointing in the other direction. I blushed.**

**" Right, of course! I was testing you. You passed," I lied. He laughed and led the way. **

**" Um, I know he's kind of our enemy, but can we bring Jet with us? I don't want him to die, and I kinda used to like him. Before I knew what he did, I mean," I confessed. He nodded and started to pick him up. **

**" I got him, you lead the way," I said, lifting Jet's still form over my shoulder. Soon, I saw The Duke lying in an open patch of ground. **

**" We have to be careful. Smellerbee and Longshot are probably near," he said. **

**" They won't try anything as long as we have Jet," I told him. He nodded and I stepped in the patch .Pipsqueak ran to grab The Duke. **

**" Come on, the Avatar's this way," I jerked my head to the direction of the campfire. He lifted The Duke over his shoulder and we were on our way. **

**" Woah, woah, woah. You never said that your friend was Jet," Katara said in hate when we arrived. **

**" Not friend. More like prisoner of war," I teased, setting him down. **

**" So, you aren't with Jet?" Sokka asked suspiciously. **

**" I was. Then I left because I found out what he did. We recently had a run in with him. He tried to capture me and take me to Ba Sing Se. Luckily, Pipsqueak knocked him out just in time," I explained. **

**" I'm sorry, but I'm still confused. Why did you bring Jet here?" Sokka asked. I shrugged.**

**" It seemed like the right thing to do. I mean, I couldn't just let him die," I stressed. **

**" Katara, I need to find some herbs for Jet. Do you want to come with me?" I asked the water tribe teen. She nodded eagerly. **

**" Boys, look over him," I ordered. **

**Guy's P.O.V: **

**" So...Jet likes Miyuki?" Sokka attempted to break the ice. **

**" Yeah. So, do you like her?" Pipsqueak asked him. **

**" Uh, sorta. I'm kind of with another girl. Suki," he explained. **

**" Do you like her, Pipsqueak?" The Duke asked, looking up at his companion. **

**" I'm not sure. Maybe," he mused. Aang was looking uncomfortable. **

**" Miyukisashapeshifter," he blurted. The rest of the guys gave him strange looks. **

**Miyuki's P.O.V: **

**I pointed to a patch of plants. **

**" That's what I need," I told her, kneeling down and uprooting the small plants. She knelt next to me.**

**" So, do you like him?" She asked. I put a small handful in my pouch. **

**" Who?" I asked disinterestedly. **

**" Jet," Katara answered. I blushed and stuttered.**

**" N-No! What would make you think that?!" I denied. I actually was developing feelings for him.**

**" Miyuki, it's obvious. Don't deny it," she chided. I sighed and thrust another handful into the pouch. **

**" Fine, I like him. Happy?" I muttered. She smiled while standing up.**

**" Very," she laughed. We walked back to the campfire to see the boys fighting. **

**" !" I yelled. They looked towards me. The Duke pointed to Aang. **

**" He said you were a shapeshifter," he blurted. I paled and Sokka facepalmed. **

**" It's not true, is it Miyuki?" Pipsqueak asked. I sighed. **

**" You were bound to find out sooner or later," I confessed. I shifted into a cat. **

**" So you're the cat I found!" Katara exclaimed. I shifted back into a human. **

**" Heh, heh. Yeah," I said awkwardly. Pipsqueak gave me a sad look and walked alone into the woods. **

**" Guys, I've got to talk to him," I explained. **

**" Pip?!" I yelled into the night. I found him sitting by a tree. **

**" Hey, are you okay?" I asked. He shook his head. **

**" I thought we were friends," he muttered. **

**" We are!" I assured. **

**" Then why didn't you tell us?" He asked while standing up and walking away. **

**" Because I was afraid that you wouldn't like me," I whispered to no one. I walked back to the campfire fighting back tears. The Duke apparently had gone to look for Pipsqueak. **

**" Sokka? Can you find them?" I pleaded. He gave me a serious nod and walked off. He soon returned with a frown on his face. As soon as he shook his head I burst into tears. **

**" Guys, go find some firewood!" Katara ordered. They left and Katara sat next to me. **

**" Miyuki, I'm so sorry," she told me. I sniffled and looked up. **

**" Thanks Katara. I'll be fine," I assured her. She looked a little doubtful so we sat there in silence. **

**" Mi-Miyuki?" I heard a weak voice strain. My head whipped around to see Jet waking up. **

**" Jet! Lay back down!" I ordered. He obeyed and I took some of the herbs I found from my pouch. **

**" Chew this, it'll help with the nausea," I explained. He did and his mouth puckered. **

**" It doesn't taste good," he stated the obvious. **

**" It rarely does. Now, slowly sit up," I ordered. He didn't respond. **

**" Miyuki? I think I have a fever," he said weakly. I leaned down to feel his forehead and he sat up quickly and captured my lips with his. I blushed. **

**" Idiot," I muttered. But it was hard to hide my smile. **

**" But I'm your idiot," he grinned and reached to hug me. I blushed harder and glanced at Katara who was 'awwwing' at the scene. **

**" So, you have changed?" I asked. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. **

**" I'm sorry Miyuki. For earlier. I wasn't thinking," he apologized. **

**" I'm going to give you another try. Everyone deserves a second chance," once I said those words, I thought of Pipsqueak. Tears started welling up in my eyes. **

**" What's wrong?" Jet exclaimed.**

**" Pipsqeak didn't give her a second chance," Katara explained perfectly. **

**" He's an idiot," he stated. I shot him a sorrowful glare. **

**" Wait. Miyuki, it's not because of me, right?" He asked earnestly. I shook my head and turned to get more firewood. He grabbed my wrist so I turned my head. **

**" Miyuki, tell me," he insisted. **

**" It's not you, it's me. I lied to you before, I am the second most wanted person in the Fire Nation," I confessed. **

**" So you're a-" I cut him off.**

**" Yeah," I sighed, and finally was freed to get more herbs. When I returned with them, Jet groaned. **

**" More?" He complained. **

**" It's going to help with your injury, trust me," I insisted. **

**" You seem to know a lot about herbs," Jet observed. **

**" Oh yeah. I'm an herbalist," I explained. Soon, Aang and Sokka returned to see me smiling and laughing with Jet. Undoubtedly they were confused. **

**" They're dating," she told them. Aang smiled while Sokka frowned.**

**" That's great!" The Avatar exclaimed. I smiled and rested my head on Jet's shoulder. **

**" Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sokka asked. My smile faded a bit and Jet put a protective arm around me. **

**" I'm giving him a second chance. Aren't you happy for us?" I defended. **

**" I am. Forget I said anything," he put his hands in the air in surrender. **

**" Where's Chey?" Katara asked. **

**" Who's Chey?" Jet and I asked at the same time, causing me to giggle. **

**" This guy who helped us escape the Fire Nation Guards," Sokka explained. I furrowed my brow. **

**" And he just left you in the middle of the woods?" I asked. **

**" Hey! Guys! Sorry I'm late. What'd I miss?" A tall man with messy hair asked, walking near the campfire. I looked at Sokka and mouthed 'That Chey?'. He nodded and I lifted my head from Jet's shoulder.**

**" I'm Miyuki, and this is Jet," I introduced. **

**" Nice to meet you. Tell me, are you the Miyuki, as in the shapeshifter. I've heard rumors," the man asked. I lifted Jet's hand and 'returned' his arm, much to his disappointment. Jet seemed to not like this man very much. Well, he was Fire Nation. **

**" Yep. Who are you?" I questioned. **

**" I'm Chey. I serve a man. More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?" He started.**

**"He was very highly ranked, we get it," Sokka prodded.**

**I jabbed him in his side.**

**"Yeh! Way up there! But he couldn't take the madness any more. He's the first person ever to leave the army - and live. I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay though. Jeong Jeong's a firebending genius. Some say he's mad - but he's not! He's enlightened," Chey said excitedly.**

**I perked up when he said 'second'. I was the second most wanted person in the Fire Nation, second only to Aang, the Avatar.**

**"You mean there's a firebender out here who's not with the Fire Lord? We've gotta go see him! He can train me!" Aang said excitedly.**

**"We're not gonna go find some crazy firebender!" Sokka exclaimed.**

**"He's not crazy! He's a genius! And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar! That's why I followed you into the festival," Chey defended.**

**"Look, thanks for the help, but we're leaving for the north pole in the morning," Sokka said.**

**" You are?" I asked. **

**"Sokka, this could be my only chance to meet a firebending master who would actually be willing to teach me," Aang said with a bit of hurt in his voice.**

**"It can't hurt just to talk to him," Katara agreed.**

**"That's what you said about going to the festival! Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me!?" Sokka exclaimed.**

**I was about to answer when I saw that we were being ambushed.**

**"Don't move!" One of them yelled.**

**They ended up leading us into the forest while I devised a plan to escape.**

**" Jeong Jeong told you not to look for Avatar!" The leader told Chey.**

**"Hold on, you know these guys!?" Sokka asked.**

**I stopped dead in my tracks.**

**" Oh yeh! Lin Yi's an old buddy! Right Lin Yi?" Chey said sarcastically. **

**I stifled my laughter.**

**"Shut up! Keep moving," Lin Yi said.**

**They lead us to a clearing with a small hut.**

**"Go on. He sees you only," Lin Yi told Chey. **

**Chey appeared nervous.**

**"Oh that's okay, we can chat later," he said awkwardly. **

**"Is that where Jeong Jeong is? I need to talk to him right away," Aang said. **

**He stepped towards the hut, but was blocked off by a spear.**

**"No! You wait there. Go now!" Lin Yi said, pushing Chey towards the hut.**

**" Don't worry! Everything'll be fine. He's a great man, great man!" He kept on telling himself.**

**I started to get an off feeling about this Jeong Jeong character.**

**" Is it just me, or does Jeong Jeong sound a really freaky dude?" I asked.**

**" Yes! Finally! Someone with sense!" Sokka exclaimed.**

**I chuckled.**

**" I never said Aang shouldn't train with him, he just seems a bit scary. We should get some rest," I said.**

**Everyone nodded in approval and we set up our sleeping bags.**

**The next morning I heard that Jeong Jeong would be teaching Aang. **

**We sat by the river as Katara practiced water bending, Sokka was fishing, and I was collecting herbs with Jet. Aang was in the middle of his firebending lesson.**

**"Widen your stance. Wider! Bend your knees. Now, , good!" Jeong Jeong said, he then walked away.**

**"Wait! What do I do now?" Aang asked.**

**"Silence! Talking is not concentrating! Look at your friends, are they talking?" Jeong Jeong asked, pointing to Katara, Jet and I.**

**"Even that oaf knows to concentrate on what he's doing!" Jeong Jeong said, pointing to Sokka.**

**"Hey!" Sokka objected.**

**I laughed while cutting some gel out of an aloe plant.**

**" But what am I concentrating on?" Aang asked impatiently.**

**" Feel the heat of the sun. It is the greatest source of fire. Yet, it is in complete balance with nature!" The firebending master said.**

**" So when do I get to make some fire?" Aang asked excitedly.**

**" Concentrate!" Jeong Jeong yelled.**

**I sighed. This was going to be a long day.**

**Aang had left with Jeong Jeong up the mountain.**

**After several hours of me teaching Jet about different herbs and their purposes and having him try many types of tea, and him teaching me about different styles of fighting, I was downright exhausted.**

**"I thought about what you said. I promise I'll be more patient," Aang said humbly to Jeong Jeong. **

**I watched with interest.**

**" We're going to work with fire now," he said.**

**" Oh yeah!" Aang said excitedly, then composed himself.**

**" I mean, let us begin," he corrected seriously.**

**Jeong Jeong grabbed a leaf and made a small burn in the middle, the fire slowly spreading. **

**"Concentrate on the fire. I want you to keep this flame from reaching the edges of the leaf for as long as you can," Jeong Jeong said, handing him the leaf.**

**" Come on Aang! You can do it! It's life depends on you!" I cheered sarcastically. **

**Suddenly, one of the people who ambushed us before approached Jeong Jeong.**

**"Master! There is trouble," he said.**

**"What's going on?" Aang asked.**

**" Concentrate on your leaf," Jeong Jeong dismissed.**

**I frowned and shifted into a badger frog to follow him.**

**Suddenly, I heard Katara yell out in pain. I hopped to the direction of the noise and heard her sobbing pitifully. **

**I shifted into a human to see her holding her hands.**

**" What happened?!" I asked.**

**" Aang, he lost control of his firebending and..." She showed me her red hands.**

**" I have some aloe, I'll be right there. Meanwhile, put your hands in the river," I said, while struggling to get across.**

**The water around her hands glowed blue and when Katara retracted her hands, they were completely healed. I almost fell in the water out of shock.**

**"You have healing abilities. The great benders of the water tribe sometimes have this ability. I've always wished I were blessed like you - free from this burning curse," Jeong Jeong said, showing up out of the blue.**

**This time I actually did fall into the water.**

**"But you're a great master. You have powers I'll never know," Katara said.**

**"Water brings healing and life. But fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart," Jeong Jeong said.**

**I frowned and sat up, spitting water out. Suddenly, a big wave of fire came near us, but Jeong Jeong protected us. I was getting tired of all these surprises.**

**"Go get your friends and flee! Do not come back here or you will all be destroyed. Hurry!" He told us as we ran off.**

**" Katara! Are you all right?" Sokka asked as we ran onto the campsite.**

**I ran and hugged Jet.**

**" I'm fine, we've got to get out of here. Where's Aang?" She asked.**

**Katara ran to go get Aang after Sokka told her.**

**" Come on Sokka! We need to hurry!" I said, grabbing Jet's hand and running towards the scene. **

**By the time we got there, all of Admiral Zhao's ships were on fire.**

**"You've lost this battle," Aang said.**

**"Are you crazy? You haven't thrown a single blow!" Zhao protested.**

**"No, but you have," Aang said, motioning to the burning ships.**

**" Jeong Jeong said you had no restraint," Aang continued.**

**I could see Zhao get angrier and angrier.**

**" Have a nice walk home!" Aang yelled. **

**" Bye, sideburn guy!" I yelled.**

**" The Cat Girl," he said darkly.**

**" Aang, Miyuki! Come on!" Sokka yelled.**

**We all jumped onto Appa.**

**" Wait! Where's Jeong Jeong?" Aang asked.**

**"He disappeared. They all did," Sokka said.**

**" Aang, you're burned," Katara said.**

**He looked down at his arm.**

**"Let me help you," she continued. **

**She opened her water canteen and started to heal Aang.**

**I peered into my satchel now full with aloe.**

**" I got all of this for nothing, then," I said glumly.**

**" Wow! That's good water," Aang exclaimed.**

**" When did you learn how to do that?" Sokka asked.**

**" I guess I always knew," she shrugged.**

**"Oh... well then thanks for all the first aid over the years. Like when I fell into the grease briar bramble and that time I had two fish hooks in my thumb!" Sokka said sarcastically.**

**"Two?" Aang asked.**

**"He tried to get the first fish hook out with another fish hook," Katara explained.**

**I started giggling.**

**"Oh, and the time that big snake bit me! Thanks for healing that up. That was great. Really helpful," He continued.**

**I started howling with laughter. **

A/N: Sorry if the whole Jet/Miyuki thing isn't believable. I just ain't feeling it. SHE BELONGS WITH PIPQUEAK! *sigh* sorry, I just have a lot of emotion!


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while! Please forgive me! I love all of my reveiwers!**

"So travelers, the next time you think you hear a strange large bird talking, take a closer look, it might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man! A member of a secret group of air walkers who laugh at gravity and laugh at those bound to the earth by it!" The story teller concluded his story.

"Aren't airbender stories the best?" Aang asked.

" Was it realistic? Was that how it was back then?" Katara asked.

"I laugh at gravity all the time. Haha! Gravity," Aang answered.

" I do to," I said, giggling a bit.

"Jingle, jingle!" The story teller told Sokka, holding an empty hat in front of him.

Sokka searched his pockets for money, but came out with lint and a dying bug.

" Sorry!" Sokka apologized.

"Aww. Cheapskates!" He complained.

I searched my satchel for money, or a couple of herbs.

"Hey thanks for the story!" Aang said, getting up and following the man looking for more donations.

"Tell it to the cap, boy!" The man said, shoving a cap in his direction, not turning around. A piece fell out of the cap, and Momo replaced it.

" Aw, much obliged little bat thing!" The story teller sat, patting Momo on the head.

" It means a lot to hear airbender stories. It must have been hundred years ago your great grandpa met them," Aang said.

"What are you prattling about child? Great grand-pappy saw the air walkers last week!" The man said.

Jet and I turned to each other.

"Heya!" The old man said.

Aang walked over to us.

" I wonder what he meant by seeing them last week," Aang wondered out loud.

" I don't know. Look, Aang. Jet and I were planning on meeting up with the rest of the gang and heading to Be Sing Se. This is probably the last time we're going to see each other in a long time," I told him.

Aang's shoulders drooped.

" But we have parting gifts!" I said quickly, to cheer him up.

He quickly straightened up.

" Ooh!" He said excitedly.

I laughed when Sokka joined in the cheering.

" You didn't have to do this, Miyuki," Katara said.

I nodded.

" Yes, I do. You guys are my first friends. I don't know what I'd do without you," I said.

Katara got tears in her eyes as Jet handed me a small parcel.

" Aang, this is for you," I said.

He opened it to see a jar of aloe and a couple of jellied candies.

" In case Katara isn't there to do some Waterbending magic," I explained.

He smiled and gave me a big hug.

" Sokka," I said, signifying that his gift was next.

He opened it quickly to see a current map of the Earth Kingdom and a compass.

" To find your way, when your instinct fails you," Jet said.

Katara and Aang started laughing.

" Okaaay, and Katara. I got this for you," I said, holding a wrapped box.

She opened it.

" Wow, how did you know?" She asked.

" Aunt Wu told me," I smiled.

" I had just run out of my supply! Thank you!" She said, hugging me.

Sokka peered into the box.

" Seaweed lotion?" Sokka asked.

" It's the best moisturizer there is. I personally use a peach blossom based lotion, but that's just for my skin," I explained.

All of the boys gave us looks. They had no idea what we were talking about.

" How about a group hug?" Aang suggested.

We all complied, Jet hesitated, but I pulled him in by his collar.

" I'm going to miss you guys. Good luck finding a Waterbending master, Katara and Aang. Sokka, please find something to entertain yourself," I begged him.

" Come on, we need to go, the town's inn is closing in a few minutes," Jet said.

I pouted.

" Can't we camp?" I asked.

" I'd like to sleep in a bed for at least one night," he said.

" What's so special about a bed?" I asked.

Ten minutes later I was sprawled out on the most comfortable bed ever.

" See what's so special now?" Jet asked with a smirk.

I frowned, I didn't like being proved wrong.

" No," I lied.

I felt a weight on my legs and I shot up.

" Jet!" I exclaimed.

He gave me a long stare, then tackled me.

" What are you doing?!" I demanded.

He then began to tickle me.

" Tell me the truth, Miyuki," he teased.

I squirmed and squealed.

" Never!" I squealed.

He found my most ticklish spot and was torturing me.

" Fine! Fine! I was lying! I love this bed!" I confessed.

" I do too," he said as he let go and rolled beside me.

I kissed his cheek.

" Thanks for finally letting me go," I said.

" No problem, I'm going to go get us some food," he said, standing up and grabbing his hook swords.

" But, we have no money. What are you doing with those?" I asked, looking at the swords.

" I told you, I'm going to get us food," he repeated.

I wanted to tell him not to, but my stomach growled, totally giving me away.

" No objections," I said simply, leaning back on the bed.

After he left, I put on a light green dress. Hopefully, nobody would mess with me if I looked so innocent. I looked in the mirror and tugged at my hair. It was long enough to cover my ears, and it was starting to get wavy. Jet was a saint for dating this mess. I left the room and locked the door. I sighed. I walked down to the front room.

" Miss, can I do anything for you?" The lobbyist asked.

I pulled out a small, worn out notebook out of my satchel.

" Actually, you can. Do you know anyone by this name?" I asked, opening the book to the front cover, where my parents' names were written.

" Yuran Rihoshi? I believe his sister lives in this village," he said.

I tried to not show my shock.

" Thank you, I've been looking for her for weeks," I lied.

I had no idea she even existed. I walked to the rows of homes and noticed a herb shop.

I knocked on the door.

" Hello? Is this the Rihoshi residence?" I asked.

" Who's there?" A heard a gruff voice ask.

My breath hitched. Was that my uncle? One of the only family I had left?

" I-I have news from Yuran," I lied.

He opened the door and I saw a tall tan man with short spiky greying hair. He gestured to let me in.

" You look a little young to be a messenger," he noticed.

" I am one of the only Earth Kingdom civilians in my village. The Fire Nation set up a naval base there, and wiped out most of our people," I said.

" I am so sorry to hear that. Is Yuran alright?" A aging woman asked.

She was wearing an apron and had a large bowl in her arms. She had long greying hair, and it was all over the place, struggling to be tamed by a blue headband.

" Well, the Fire Nation spared the herbalists. They needed their medicine. Those herbalists are the most brave people I have ever known. But I didn't really know them. I was a baby when the Fire Nation cut them down," I said, sitting down.

I hated talking about this like I was an outsider. My aunt dropped the bowl.

" Yuran..." she said.

" You have a right to cry. He was your brother," I said, looking into her eyes.

They were a deep green with specks of brown. I wondered if my father looked anything like her.

" But he was your father, wasn't he?" She asked.

I looked down from her gaze.

" How did you know," I whispered.

" Yuran's last letter, spoke of a daughter. You are Miyuki," she stated.

My uncle helped me up. I hugged him.

" You're the only family I have left," I wept.

I felt a hand on my head.

" We're here for you," he said.

I let go.

" I have to go. I'll try to return, but I can't promise it," I said to them.

I rushed out and ran to the inn as fast as I could. It was destiny again. Always chasing me. I wanted to be with Jet, it was what I wanted, not fate. I rushed in just in time. Jet walked in not two minutes after me.

" You got dressed up, huh? I got some food," he said.

I looked up and smiled. I had lost my appetite long ago, by just thinking about the loss of my father. He set down a basket of fruit and rolls.

" How did you know?" I asked, pulling out a moon peach so he wouldn't be suspicious.

"Aang told me. He really looks up to you, you know,"he said to me.

I sighed.

" He shouldn't. I can afford to get in trouble. The fate of the world is resting on his shoulders," I said, nibbling on a roll.

" That is true. But you are a lot like him. You both lost everyone you've known and loved, and you have special abilities that you didn't ask for," he pointed out.

I stayed quiet and thought about it.

" I have to go -um- get some new clothes," I lied, wanting to see my aunt again.

" Can I come with you?" He asked.

" Uh-uh- sure," I said after faltering a bit.

Once we got there I decided to tell him the truth.

" When you were out getting food, I left to see if any trace of my mother is here. But I found something else entirely, my dad's sister," I told him.

" So, you don't need new clothes?" He asked.

" No, I have plenty. I wanted you to meet her," I said.

He followed me to the herb shop and I knocked.

" It's Mikuki," I whispered.

The door opened.

" I thought we'd never see you again. Why did you run off like that?" my uncle asked.

"I didn't tell him," I said, gesturing to Jet.

" I'm her boyfriend, Jet. Nice to meet you," he introduced as I smiled and blushed.

It felt weird to call him my boyfriend. I still saw him as my enemy, I guess.

" You two are always welcome here," my aunt said kindly.

" Thank you," I said softly as they led us to a guest room.

" We'll have dinner soon," my uncle said while leaving the room.

" We can't stay here Miyuki," Jet told me.

" I know, this place reminds me too much of my old home," I said.

"We need to start over. You cutting your hair set us all on the right path. Do you mind cutting it again?" He asked.

" But what do we do after? What if they come looking for us? What if everyone wants to arrest m-" I was cut off by Jet pressing his lips against mine.

I couldn't help but wonder if it was his first kiss when he pulled my head closer. I wrapped my hands around his waist and got lost in the kiss. We ran out of the window hand in hand and I had a new fire in my heart.

**The next chapter shouldn't take as long as this one. Getting into Naruto has made me a little disoriented. That and a new crush! AbbyCade15 knows who!**


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